In Scotland

Laconic Laggard (Part 3)

"So you are the coward now? Leave it to us," Natty sighed and threw some fairy dust onto her hairbrush. Her brush became a sword! Shenanigan did the same and they started battling the carrot monster. Natty speedily jabbed at the monster, becoming a blur to Matt watching from above the raft. Shenanigan distracted the lumbering monster, which was now bleeding carrot juice, by hurling insults at him. After all, she did not have much fighting experience. "You crab-faced moron! Go slip on your gooey puddle of carrot juice! Impale yourself or something!"

After receiving a few blows from the carrot monster, the two were tired out. Just when Shenanigan did not notice, the carrot monster lunged, clutching her in his meaty hand. She flailed her sword around helplessly, trying to get at the monster, legs dangling from the great height. Desperately, she yelled, "Someone help!"

Natty shielded her eyes, afraid of what was to come. If it was possible for Matt to cower any further, he would have at that moment.

Out of nowhere, an arrow shot silently out from the surrounding foliage, nailing the carrot monster right in its only eye.

The monster wailed, clutching its eye, releasing his hold on Shenanigan. She fell to the ground with a large "oof", sword clanging disconsolately onto a rock, while she was knocked unconscious.

Natty peeped out to see what had happened, only to face the gruesome sight of the carrot monster wrangling the arrow out of its eye and stumbling off clumsily, leaving a trail of carrot juice. About ten metres away, Shenanigan lay sprawled across a rock, sword just out of her grasp.

Natty whispered some nonsense words in shock, "Wha..." Matt muttered.

Matt, recovering from his stupor, flew the raft down to the ground. "Show yourself! Who are you?!" Matt shrieked.

"Cool it, man." A tall (in comparison to Matt, equally tall) boy with a bow and a back quiver filled with arrows stepped out of the foliage. He was wearing a jacket and the hood shadowed about half his face. His lips were drawn in a pale straight line. He also looked slightly familiar.

Matt gasped. It was Zeb Liu, the famous tween-age carrot monster hunter! "Why are you here?" Zeb asked curtly. Matt turned around, wanting Natty to help answer. However, Natty was preoccupied with healing Shenanigan, too far away to help. He sighed disconsolately, "Umm... We were hunting for-"

"OH MAH GOD!" Shenanigan, healed by the fairy dust Natty had sprinkled over her, squealed as she ran towards Zeb Liu, fangirling over him. "You're so hot!" Zeb tried to swat her away and succeeded. However, Shenanigan's persistence brought her running back to Zeb every time he pushed her away. After a while, Zeb, left with no choice, took off into the woods. Shenanigan followed, hot on her heels.

Natty, following close behind, rolled her eyes. She locked eyes with Matt and met with a silent agreement: Leave. That way, Shenanigan would pry herself away from Zeb in fear of losing them and they could leave to continue their hunt.

Sneakily, the two ran back to their raft. Matt recited the magic words and the raft floated into the air. Natty yelled, "Shenanigan! If you don't come, we're leaving without you!"

Instead of running desperately towards the raft, Shenanigan exclaimed, "You guys go. I'm following Zeb to help catch the monster."

Natty bellowed, "We're really leaving!"

Matt sighed. He steered the raft away from Shenanigan after seeing her dash off after Zeb. Natty, realising what Matt had done, gasped, "When I said that, I didn't mean we really should go! We have to find her. She barely knows how to fight!"